To Live Again
by Averi Malee
Summary: Slight AU. Kagome never feel down the well. For some reason, fate was taking a holiday and it never happened. But now, fate has to fix what has been broken...but in the modern era?
1. Prologue

Alright! I _really should be writing the next chapter to my other story "Shadows" but this story kept buzzing around my head, so I just couldn't help myself!!!_

I don't own Inu Yasha….*sob!*

**To Live Again**

**Prologue**

Grandpa Higurashi sat in his chair and looked down at his feet, where his granddaughter, 9 year old Kagome, and grandson, 3 year old Souta, were sitting. As usual, they were waiting for the many tales he often told them before bedtime.

"There are many tales from Feudal Japan. Many of them tell of youkai, magic, and other mystical things. This very temple, in fact, was the site of one momentous act.

The Miko Kikyo was the protector of the Shikon no Tama, a jewel that was said to give a youkai incredible strength. It was also said that the jewel would grant a wish. The Miko was a very good woman who protected the village by keeping the youkai at bay, and guarded the jewel, and the village, with her life.

Many youkai, and men with evil hearts, came after the jewel. One of such was a hanyou named Inu Yasha. But, as the story goes, the hanyou and the miko fell in love. The hanyou was even going to wish on the shikon no tama to become human. But then, without reason, the two turned on each other. The day that Inu Yasha was to become human, he attacked Kikyo and took the jewel. Fatally injured from the attack, Kikyo used the last of her power to seal the hanyou to the god tree, which is where he remained until his body finally disappeared. The Miko Kikyo died soon after, taking the jewel with her to the netherworld."

"That's so sad Grandpa," Little Kagome said, and pulled her knees up to rest her chin on, "Why did they betray each other if they were in love?"

"That I don't know Kagome. Possibly it was the hanyou's plan all along to betray the Miko. But, then again, it _is just a story. Another myth is that of the horrible youkai Naraku, and the Monk Mitsunari. The Monk, trying to vanquish the evil youkai Naraku, followed him around the country, searching for him. They battled quite a few times, but the youkai was able to change the way he looked, so the Monk never knew exactly where to find him, or when he'd attack. Then, one day, Naraku appeared before him in the form of a beautiful woman. Mitsunari, being of *cough* a certain way, wasn't able to fight against him. Thus, Naraku cursed him with a wind tunnel in his right hand, which unless sealed, would suck in everything around him, including people. Eventually, the hole would consume him as well. The only way to defeat it would be to defeat Naraku. But Mitsunari was not able to. He died, and the curse was passed on to his son, Mannaku. But, unfortunately for him as well, he was not able to break the curse. Finally, the curse was passed down to his son, Miroku. He too was unable to break the curse, but he also had no heir for the curse to be handed down to. Thus, the curse of the wind tunnel ended."_

"That's so cool, grandpa! Tell us another one!" Souta exclaimed, sitting up on his knees.

"Alright…there is another one, not so tragic. There was once a village set high up in the hills, not far from here. It was a youkai exterminator's village. The people there trained to kill youkai that threatened villagers. The daughter of the village was a great warrior, bringing down thousands of youkai with her weapon, which was a boomerang called 'hirakotsu'. She eventually became the leader of the village. However, by that time youkai were becoming fewer and fewer so the youkai exterminators were not needed anymore. The village became just a normal village."

Souta frowned, "That wasn't as exciting as the other stories you told us!"

"I want to hear more about the miko and the hanyou!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Now kids, I think that's enough for one night." Mrs. Higurashi called, walking into the living room from the kitchen. "It's time for bed anyways. Kiss your grandfather goodnight and go get in bed."

"But I didn't even get to tell them my story about the kitsune's who outsmarted the Thunder Brother tribe! Or the ancient story of Midoriko!" Grandpa Higurashi whined, along with his grandchildren.

Mrs. Higurashi gave the "mom" glare, and the children hurriedly flew by, calling goodnight to their mother and grandfather.

Once the children were out of the room, Mrs. Higurashi looked at her father, "Dad, why do you tell them such stories? It always gets them so wound up before bed."

"Because they should know Japan's history! God knows, the _school_ isn't teaching them it!"

Mrs. Higurashi sighed, "That's because they're _stories_ Dad. Youkai never really existed, and those myths are just that, _myths."_

I know, I know, this prologue is SHORT. But, it's a prologue, right? It's ok if it's short. Right, Right? *looks around nervously* right??


	2. Chapter 1: Just Another Day

Ah, yet another chapter ^_^ I really shouldn't be writing two stories at once, but oh well!

And, of course, I don't own Inu Yasha!

**To Live Again**

**Chapter 1: Just Another Day**

*Ring Ring* Kagome's arm flew out from under her and slammed down on her alarm clock 'Damn…thing! And it was to a good part too!' Her dream had been so vivid. The tall, hunky man of her dreams (_literally_) was leaning down to whisper sweet nothings into her ear, when those sweet nothings had turned into some sort of ringing noise.

After slamming on her alarm clock a few more times, it dawned on Kagome that it was not her alarm clock ringing, but in fact her phone. She crawled over to the edge of her bed and reached for it, slowly beginning to join the world of the living, or at least the awake.

"Moshi Moshi" she greeted, half asleep.

"Kagome-chan?" A voice she recognized as Yurika, from work, greeted her back.

"Yes?" More and more awake, Kagome wanted to hit something. Instead, she settled for grabbing her pillow into a death grip 'She wouldn't! Not again!...No, not on my _only day off!'_

"Ah Kagome-chan? Would you mind filling in fro me today?"

'She did!' Kagome's mind screamed, her knuckles turning white from her grip on the pillow. Oh, they all knew she was a sucker, too nice to say no! 'Dammit!!'

With a sighed "Alright", Kagome hung up with Yurika and looked at the clock. '5:30' glared back in bright red numbers.

"5:30! Who calls at 5:30 in the morning anyways?" Kagome yelled and threw her pillow at the wall. Taking a few deep breaths and counting to ten, she walked over and picked up her poor pillow and headed back for bed. Luckily, she had a few hours before she had to get up for work…again. 'This is the third week in a row without a day off! I'm gonna completely freak if I don't get sometime to myself soon!'

*~*~*

Kagome looked herself over in the mirror one more time before she left for work. Brushing some imaginary lint off of her navy blue turtle-neck sweater, she then straightened her already straightened blue and green plaid skirt that came to just above her knees in a flowing fashion. She was always self-conscious about how she presented herself, a trait that had been imbedded by her mother. 'A person who looks good, does good.' She could almost hear her mother's voice, even though she lived about 30 miles from her. Grabbing her purse and slipping on her shoes, she headed out for another day of work.

The walk to work wasn't too long, just enough to get a little exercise. Kagome used this time to think about her life, and the lack thereof. Here she was, 20, living on her own in a nice two room apartment. She had a good job at a bookstore, went to a good college, and had a good boyfriend. Life was good, right?

'Yeah, keep telling yourself that!' She told herself and sighed. Ok, life wasn't _that good. Yeah, she had her own apartment, but money was tight and all of it went towards paying her bills and for food. She was lucky she got into such a good school, and a scholarship no less. Her job was ok, if not boring. And she was there _way_ too much. 'Thank god its summer break!'_

Good boyfriend? Yeah right. He wasn't even her boyfriend, not that it wasn't from a lack of him trying. Hojo had always been nice to her, but she just never really felt that way about him. He just didn't get it! She tried to be as nice as she could and pretty much told him she wasn't interested, but he couldn't catch a hint if it had been the plague.

Sure, she had her friends…a little. Since High School, Eri, Yuka, and Ayame weren't around as much. They had their own lives, own schools, own works to worry about. Once in a while they would get together, but they were no longer as close as they used to be. She missed them a little, but life went on.

She had a few new friends though. There were her co-workers…although most of them just used her kindness in their own favor. One though was a real friend, Sango. She worked with her at the bookstore. In fact, she was one of the managers, and had gotten her the job in the first place. They had met at the college. Though their majors were different (Kagome's being Religious Studies and Sango's being Asian History) they ended up having almost all the same classes.

There was another, err, somewhat friend. His name was Miroku. He was also majoring in Religious Studies and seemed to have a crush on Sango, not that he would tell her. He was too busy groping the women around him to talk too long about feelings. But, deep down, Kagome could tell that he was a good man. Now if they could only work on his lecherous behavior, he might stand more than a snowball's chance in hell with Sango.

And of course, she did still have her family. Even though she didn't live there anymore, she was still close with her Mother, and often went home to visit. There was her Mom, Souta, her younger brother, and Grandpa. Also, there was her little cousin Shippo who had come to stay with the family after his parents had died in a car crash when he was only 2. That had been three years ago, and he was now 5. She tried to get over to see them as much as possible, but with college, and now work almost everyday (who was she kidding, it WAS everyday), she hadn't had the change to lately.

'Maybe I'll go home and visit after work today' she thought to herself and then stopped her ponderings, seeing that she was before her work.

Going through the door, she was greeted by the smiling face of her friend, "Kagome-chan! What are you doing here? Isn't today your day off?"

Kagome groaned and put her purse behind the counter when the register sat, "Don't remind me! Yurika called me at 5:30 this morning to ask if I could work for her!"

Sango sighed and shook her head, bending it down over the purchase log she was working on, "Kagome-chan, when are you going to stop letting people walk all over you?"

Kagome also sighed, "It's not like I _like_ it you know. It's just…too hard to say no!"

Sango looked up and laughed, "You just need practice, Kagome-chan. Maybe I should send Miroku-san to you so that you can practice saying 'no' to his constant lecherous questions."

Kagome smirked at her friend as she tied a light blue apron around her waist, "Oh no Sango-chan, I believe that's something he has personally dedicated to you." She eeped and ducked as Sango tossed a pencil at her head.

"Well, whatever. If you can't say no, then go put those new arrivals on the shelf before the boss gets here." Sango said in a snotty voice.

"Maybe I'll start practicing on you! No!" Kagome laughed as another pencil flew by her head, "Ok Ok! I'm going!" She laughed and headed for the back storeroom.

*~*~*

Sesshou Maru (a.k.a Sesshomaru ^_^) looked in his mirror and straightened his tie for the umpteenth time. He had been around for over a thousand years now, yet still felt it necessary to look dignified whenever he went out. Like now. He was heading to his business, a fairly profitable bookstore that he owned. He never really _worked, no, that was below someone of his stature (though not many people knew him as the "Lord of the Western Lands" anymore, just the owner of "Western Lands Books"). Instead, he just went to oversee what the managers he had hired did to the place, and to make sure he approved of course._

Glancing at his figure one more time, he gracefully excited the room. He still had his long, whitish-silver hair that hung to his waist, accompanied by his golden eyes. Unfortunately, to blend in with the _human_ population (regardless of how much it annoyed him) he had had to make his youkai markings disappear, a simple act for someone of his standings. He always dressed respectably, in business suits (although he missed his old white outfit). This day he was wearing an expensive, designer suit that was a dark blue color.

As he gracefully descended the steps, his ear twitched as he heard the *ding ding* that accompanied his nephew's play station. The sound was coming from the downstairs living room. So, of course, he headed in that direction. Peering into the room with his usual cold expression, the sight that greeted him did nothing but make the expression deepen.

There was his nephew, sitting about 2 inches from the TV, playing that game again. Did he honestly have _nothing better to do?_

"You, Yasha, don't you have better things to do than play that game all day?"

Without turning around to even look at him, Yasha replied, "Nope!"

The usual expressionless, cold face of Sesshou cracked into a frown as he looked at what was his 'nephew'. He wasn't actually his nephew, though they could have looked it. Yasha also had long whitish-silver hair and golden eyes. But, living for as many centuries as Sesshou had, you learn a few things. And you meet a few reincarnates. Yasha was one of those.

Except, he was the reincarnation of his dead brother, Inu Yasha, who had died over 500 years ago by the hand of the _human_ he had loved. He had never cared for his brother, but still had felt compelled to take Yasha in when he had discovered him as a baby. His parents had died of 'unknown causes' and the boy had been brought to the hospital with the police man who had found him. He had been there himself for some stupid fundraising event he had helped fund for some reason or another. He really couldn't remember all the places he gave money to. So, when he had realized the soul inside the boy was that of his deceased hanyou brother, he felt an urge to adopt him. With all of his donations to the hospital, no one thought twice about allowing the boy to him. And that is where they found themselves now, 21 years later, him raising Yasha as an Uncle.

Now, as 'Uncle Sesshou' watched Yasha play the game, and completely ignore him, he yet again felt that hatred of his hanyou brother rise up in him, "Yasha! Turn off that game _now!"_

Yasha sort of snorted and paused the game. Looking at his uncle out of the corner of his eyes, he glared at him, "What?!?"

Sesshou narrowed his eyes at him 'Completely worthless!' Then an idea dawned on him. "Yasha, get dressed. We are going somewhere."

Yasha raised his eyebrow in suspicion. Since when did _Uncky_ Sesshou take him anywhere? "Why?"

"Cause I said so!" Sesshou snapped before he quickly re-gathered himself. "You do nothing around here except take up space and food. From now on, _you_ are going to work!

Eyes going wide, he stood up from his spot in front of the TV, "WHAT!"

Sesshou kept his eyes narrowed as he glared back at him, "You heard me. You are going to work at my bookstore. At least _then_ you'll be doing something productive."

"I AM doing something productive!"

"_Other _than_ taking up air?" Sesshou said with a slight hint of sarcasm. (__Slight!)_

"I'm NOT going to work with you! That's final!!"

*~*~*

Yasha grumbled all the way to the bookstore from the passenger seat of Sesshou's Mercedes. "Stupid…lousy…uncle!"

"Yasha, I _can hear you." Sesshou pointed out to him in a reasonably calm voice, though the circumstances. He was now an hour late, since he had to practically drag Yasha by the hair to get him into the car. 'Damn brat's as bad as my brother…wait, that's right, he _is_ my brother by nature, isn't he?' Slightly shaking his head from the thoughts, he pulled into the back parking lot of the store._

"Now listen carefully, Yasha. You _will work, you __will listen to your superiors, and you __will behave yourself, understand? I will NOT put up with you slacking off around work as you do at home!"_

"Feh, whatever." Yasha crossed his arms and looked out the window.

"Alright, let's go in."

*~*~*

The two entered the store to find it already bustling with activity for 10:30 in the morning. Looking for the manager he had on duty, he found her at the main register, chatting with a customer.

"Yasha. I'm going to speak with the manager now. You…stay here and DON'T touch anything!" With that he strode away quickly towards the front of the store.

"Feh, like I _would." He mumbled to himself and looked around the store. It was actually a pretty good sized store. Of course, he had never been there before; it _was_ a book store after all. But, it didn't look too bad._

He heard a 'thump' to his right and, walking down the row, spotted a girl picking up a box of books she had apparently dropped. He watched as she bent over to pick them up, her ebony locks falling over her shoulder. From where he was standing, she looked to have a nice body, with long legs and…'Oh crap! She's looking at me!' The girl glanced at him, and the direction his eyes had been, and jumped up quickly.

"Excuse me! Just _what are __you looking at!" She accused, a blush rising to her cheeks._

A small blush formed on his as well. It's not like he was a pervert or anything, but come on! A girl, in a skirt, keeling down in front of him, bending to pick stuff up off the floor? He'd have to be a monk to not notice (no pun intended, I swear…^_~).

"I…wasn't looking at anything, wench!" Ah yes, due to a lack of outside-contact, and too many video games, Yasha's vocabulary AND people skills were a little on the, ah, non-existent side.

"Wench? _Wench? Just WHO do you think you're calling a wench, mister?" She pointed her finger at him and walked closer to poke him in the chest._

"Who else am I talking to? And, knock that off!" He lightly slapped her finger away. 'Wow, this girl _is pretty hot…especially when she's mad!'_

"Well, at least I'm not some pervert, looking up girls skirts!" She shot back, giving him a look that could kill, if looks did that sort of thing. (Which they don't)

"Feh, who'd want to look at a wench like you anyways?" His mind told him to shut up, but since when did he listen to his head anyways? It only got him in trouble.

"Ah! My name is _not wench! It's Kagome! Ka-Go-Me!"_

"Yasha!" Sesshou's voice called to him coldly as both Yasha and Kagome looked at him.

'Oh, so _that's why this jerk looks so familiar!' Kagome thought to herself, 'They must be related!' Then that thought dug deeper into her head. 'Oh shit, wait, they're related! CRAP CRAP CRAP!' She watched as her boss approached, eyes widening a bit._

"Yasha, I see you have met Kagome. Report up to the front desk immediately, Sango will tell you what to do first."

Grumbling still, Yasha sent one last glare at Kagome before trudging up to the front.

Sesshou turned towards the girl and nodded his head, "I am sorry if my nephew has offended you in anyway. He is…not a very personable person."

Kagome, nervous at talking to the big boss man, laughed, "Oh, no problem!" 'Yeah, I get called a wench every day!' Her mind gave her sarcastic answer.

Nodding slightly again, Sesshou took his leave from her and headed out the back door from where he came in. He, of course, didn't need to lower himself to actually _work._

Oi! That's it! (For now! ^_^)

Let me know if ya'll like it! I have a really good idea for this story, but only if people review and tell me to continue *hint hint*


	3. Chapter 2: All in a Day's Work

Wow, time for another exciting, fun-filled chapter! Yeah! Well, anyways, besides the fact that I don't own Inu Yasha….On with the Show, err Story!

****

**To Live Again**

**Chapter Two: All in a Day's Work?**

Kagome sighed and leaned her head on her hand, elbow resting on the counter-top of the front counter. Next to her, Sango again was looking over some of her books, checking her inventory this time (Isn't Sango just so…Managerial?).

Hearing a sight from her friend, she looked up from her book, "What's wrong with you?"

"Hmmm…?" Kagome asked back, glancing at her from the corner of her eyes.

"Well, that's about the fifth time you've sighed since you've gotten up here." Sango said back, putting the book down now to look at her friend, "What's wrong?"

Kagome sighed again and stood up straight, taking her elbow of the counter, "I'm sooo sick of work Sango-chan! Every day: day in, day out. Work work work!" She sat down on the stool and banged her head into her crossed arms on the counter.

Sango patted her on the pack, "Kagome-chan…you really need a day off!"

Kagome sweat-dropped and glared at her friends weak joke, "Geez, very funny Sango-chan!" And again banged her head into her arms.

"Feh, you should stay like that for the rest of the day. It makes the atmosphere a little less ugly in here."

Hearing the new, yet oddly annoying voice, Kagome looked up from her arms to see the jerk, Yasha or whatever his name was, smirking at her from in front of the counter.

Again giving him her now trademarked 'Look that could kill', she stormed off into the backroom.

Looking at Sango, Yasha crossed his arms and asked in a bored voice, "So, what do ya want me to do now?"

Sango, surprised, looked at him, "You're already done stocking the new fiction shelf?"

"Yeah!" Yasha sneered. Books, who needed them anyways?

"In alphabetical order?"

Yasha stopped smirking and froze. 'Crap! She didn't say alphabetically before!'

Sango sighed and picked her book back up again. "Go back and fix it. But first, could you go and ask Kagome-chan to come back out here?"

Yasha "Feh" -ed and started to walk away when Sango called to him quietly, "And, could you just go a little easier on her? She's kind of stressed out right now."

"Why's that?" He asked, trying to sound like he really didn't care why it was.

"Well, this is the…hmm, I think the third week in a row where she hasn't had a day off. People just keep asking her to fill in for them, and she's too nice to say no."

Yasha rolled his eyes and headed for the backroom, where Kagome had gone. Imagine, being too nice to say no! Please, he had to be begged half the time to just say yes!

Opening the backroom door, he called out "Yo, Ugly!" Before ducking as a book flew where his head once was and landing on the floor behind him.

"Sango wants ya, and you can't throw worth shit either!" Another book came, this time connecting with the back of his head as he started walking towards the 'new-fiction' section. "Bitch…" He mumbled as he tried to remember the alphabet song in his head.

After taking a few calming, cleansing breaths, Kagome headed back out towards Sango.

Seeing her approach, Sango called out to her, "Kagome-chan! I have just the thing to cheer you up!"

Kagome half-way groaned, wondering what horrid thing Sango had thought up, "What?"

Sango looked at the clock which now read 1:00. "It's story time!" She smiled cheerfully.

Kagome smiled back. If it was one thing she actually _did_ like about her job, it was story time. She could pick out a good children's book, and head to the back where they always seemed to have a group of children sitting, waiting for a story. It was like a little "activity center" with tables and crayons and all sorts of things for children to occupy their time with while their parents shopped.

Heading back towards that section, she just happened to detour over to the 'new-fiction' section and just happened to bump into a certain new employee; who promptly dropped a whole stack of new, hard-cover, books onto his feet.

As Yasha yelped a few curse words in pain, Kagome quickly made her getaway, feeling overly happy for some reason.

*~*~*

"That little bitch! Like I don't know she did that on purpose!" Yasha growled to himself. Maybe they had started off on the wrong foot, but that didn't mean she had to make him drop books on it! He looked over in the direction she had gone and watched as she sat down in front of group of children and began to talk to them, making them laugh and giggle. She then opened a book, and began reading to them. Of course, he couldn't really hear it from where he was standing, but she obviously was able to keep the kids attention on the story.

So deep in thought was he at watching Kagome read to the children, he didn't notice a presence looming over him from behind.

"So…You're the new guy, huh?" A male voice brought his attention away from the children's section and to a pair of laughing violet eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Yasha asked, angry at being brought out of his reverie.

"Oh, sorry, I should introduce myself! My name is Tamarin Miroku! Sango-chan up at the register is my girlfriend!" In the background a "I am not!" called out, proving that they were not out of earshot of an ever wary Sango. "Well, friend…" Miroku trailed off, then stuck his hand out, to shake.

Yasha looked at the hand like it had snake's crawling over it. So, he turned back towards the books he was alphabetizing, "I'm Yasha. Now go away."

Pulling back his hand he smiled, "Well, I guess I'll leave you to your work. Nice meeting you, Yasha!" After receiving another glare, he headed back up front towards his 'lovely Sango' as he put it.

"I see your new employee is quite…the friendly and talkative one."

Sango sighed. "Yeah, he's a jerk alright. But he's the boss's nephew, so I can't tell him off or anything."

"Well, I'm sure he'll warm up soon enough."

"Not likely, you should have heard him and Kagome-chan going rounds though. It was all I could do not to laugh!" Sango giggled at the memory.

Miroku watched as she giggled, "Obviously…So, Dear Sango, have you thought anymore about this weekend?" He tried to give her a melting smile, but all that came out was a lecherous one.

Sango abruptly stopped giggling and raised an eyebrow at him, "And _why_ would I do that?"

"Cause…" Miroku drew it out, gaining more or her attention, "You know you love me?"

He was rewarded with a bop on the head.

Sango rolled her eyes and looked up as she saw Kagome making her way back up to the front. "Hey, Kagome-chan! It's time for my lunch break! Can you take over the register?"

"Sure, Sango-chan!" Kagome called back and headed behind the counter as Sango began to exit from behind it. She was used to filling in for Sango during her breaks.

"Sango! Then, would you like-" Miroku started, getting his hopes up…

"And, could ya keep Miroku-san here busy?" She continued on her way out of the store.

.…only to have his hopes come crushing down. 'Ah well, there's always time later!'

Kagome looked at the crushed monk-in-training before her and giggled, "So Miroku-san, no luck today?"

"No…but, I think I'm _beginning to get through!" He smiled brightly._

"Feh, yeah right, like you stand a chance!" Yasha said sarcastically as he headed behind the counter as well. "Where'd did she go anyways?" he directed towards Kagome.

Kagome glared at him and raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh, were you talking to me? I didn't hear a 'wench' or a 'bitch' so it couldn't _possibly_ be me, could it?"

Yasha rolled his eyes at her, "Whatever wench, where did Sango go?"

Kagome felt the anger building inside her, but counted to 10 quickly before answering, "She went to lunch, leaving me in charge."

"Oh great, the worlds gonna end." Yasha said sarcastically, leaning against the counter. He glanced down at Miroku. "Hey, why didn't you go with her, I thought you said she was your girlfriend?"

Kagome laughed and Miroku sighed, "She is in denial right now. But soon, she will realize, we were meant to be." As he finished that line, he leaned back to look at a woman that had just passed him by.

Kagome frowned and leaned forward, flicking him in the forehead, "Yeah, etchi, if you don't knock that off, you'll _never_ get Sango-chan!"

Yasha laughed at Miroku's actions, "No wonder she's in 'denial', I would be too."

Kagome turned and looked coldly at him, "Don't you have something to do?"

Yasha stood up and crossed his arms, "Nope" he said defiantly.

Frowning, Kagome crossed her arms as well, "Why don't you go put another box out or something."

"No."

"What?"

"You heard me, you ain't my boss, so you can't tell me what to do!" Yasha stuck his nose up in the air.

"You…are…such a JERK!" She yelled at him, almost forgetting that they were at work and at a bookstore no less. She quickly quieted down and, tapping her foot angrily, she counted to ten again…slowly.

"Would you knock that off, wench, it's annoying!"

"Sure!" She smiled sweetly at him. He pulled back out of his haughty posture, shocked, when she then slammed her heel onto his already injured foot. As Yasha hopped around in pain, Miroku laughed. Kagome simply ignored them both and went to ring up a customer.

Miroku looked out the glass windows in the front of the store and saw something suspicious…something that looked like…balloons? Squinting to get a better look, he recognized the person carrying the balloons as a guy…someone familiar, but who?

Then it dawned on him, as the boy turned to walk into the bookstore. "Oh geez…don't look now Kagome-chan, but guess who's coming into the store?"

Yasha stopped hopping around and looked at the balloon-laden guy. 'Hmph, just some wimpy looking guy!'

Kagome immediately paled and froze. Inside, her inner voice was saying 'OH CRAP OH CRAP OH CRAP OH CRAP!' (you get the picture, right?)

The boy stopped right in front of the register and smiled brightly at Kagome, who was able to squeak out "Hojo-kun?" before her voice was completely taken from her. 'Great, could her day get _possibly_ any better!' her brain shouted with so much sarcasm, it actually hurt.

"Higurashi-san! How are you? I hope you're feeling better?" Ever since she had gotten pneumonia in the 12th grade, he had asked her every time he saw her if she was feeling well. It was almost like he thought she was terminally ill!

"Ah, yes, Hojo-kun…what brings you here?" She was slowly gaining the feeling back in her toes, telling her if she started now, she could probably make it out the door before they would follow her. No, he'd know she'd go to her apartment, and follow her there. But maybe, if she made a dash for the…

As part of her brain was thinking about escape routes, the other one was praying to whatever god there was that those balloons were not for her. Oh please, _don't_ let that big bunch of stupid looking balloons be for her.

She looked around her quickly. Miroku, laughing silently as always, gave her an apologetic look. A quick side glance told her at least Yasha wasn't laughing; he was just staring at Hojo as if he was some sort of new side show freak attraction. Oh, where was Sango when she needed her??

"…So, I know that we've been going steady for awhile now…" Hojo's voice cut in to her thoughts. Wait a second, they were going steady? When was he planning on telling _her_ that? "So I thought it was time to take a bigger plunge!" He handed her the balloons, which she took somewhat brainlessly. Hojo then reached into a pocket and presented in front of her a diamond ring. "Will you marry me, Higurashi?"

Kagome's eyes almost bulged out of her sockets. Her eye twitching, her stressed out, over worked mind seemed to stop working. As she opened her mouth, only one thing suitable for the kind of day she was having was able to make it's way to her mouth, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

And with that Kagome, balloons and all, went running at top speed into backroom, praying he wouldn't follow her there.

Hojo still had that smile on his face, though it was dropping a little. Yasha looked at Miroku, who was trying to keep from laughing, and then said to Hojo, "Ah, I think that means 'No'."

Hojo frowned a little, then his smile perked up again, "Oh, she must be having a bad day! Maybe she's getting sick again? I should go bring her some tea! That'll make her feel better!" He said more to himself than them.

Miroku was trying as hard as he could not to laugh. After all, Hojo was a nice guy and all….just a little dense.

Yasha stared and Hojo again like he was a freak show, "Is this guy delusional or just crazy? Even _I would have picked up on __that sign!'_

But no, Hojo the ever cheerful, just went along his way, mumbling about tea, and that he'd be back in a couple of hours.

As he was walking out, Sango was walking in. Seeing that it was Hojo who had exited, she picked up her pace. "Where's Kagome-chan?" She asked Miroku.

Miroku finally burst out laughing and pointed to the backroom where Kagome had fled. She quickly headed that direction as well, to try and help her after another "Hojo-incident".

Yasha looked at Miroku, who had finally calmed himself down. "What is _with_ that Hobo guy?"

Miroku sighed and held his hands up in a 'I don't know' pose, "He has liked Kagome-chan since High School, but he doesn't get it that she's not interested. They have gone out on, I think, three or four dates, but he thinks they're going steady!" He had to fight another wave of giggles.

Yasha sighed. These new people he was meeting were all a bunch of nut-bars.

*~*~*

"Kagome-chan, why don't you go home for the day? We'll be alright!"

Kagome was popping the balloons one by one as she yelled more at them then Sango, "Home? *pop* He'll know that *pop* Sango-chan! *pop* He'll just follow me there, *pop* and propose to me again *pop* or something! Or *pop* maybe he took me screaming and running away as a 'yes' *pop* and he'll show up there with a priest or something!" *pop**pop**pop* Now all the balloons were popped.

"Kagome-chan, why don't you go to your mother's then? Go visit with your family? I'll send Miroku to keep Hojo away, ok?"

Kagome silently nodded, and the two left the backroom, now covered in popped balloons.

Reaching the front first, Sango called to Miroku, "Hey, will you walk Kagome-chan to the bus so she can go to her mothers?"

Miroku nodded and smiled, walking next to Kagome, "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe from Hojo, Kagome-chan" and with that, reached over and grabbed her butt.

As she leapt away with a cry, Sango bopped Miroku on the head. "On second thought, Yasha, you walk her there."

Yasha looked up from his amusement. They were better than watching TV! "Hey, wait, who said _I'd do anything?" He asked angrily._

Sango sighed and rubbed her temples, "Consider it off time, with pay, alright?"

Yasha thought about it for a second, then shrugged, "Works for me, lets go wench." He grabbed Kagome's purse, and hopped over the counter. Throwing it into her hands, he grabbed an arm and pulled her towards the door.

"Bye Kagome-chan! Get some rest!" Sango waved at her friend as she exited the store. Just then she felt a creeping hand going up her backside and sighed. 'Some things never change' she thought as she knocked the perpetrator down to the floor, unconscious.

End of Chapter 2! Yeah! *Waves flag* 

^_^ Please Review!


	4. Chapter 3: Meet the Higurashi's

Well, hello there! Another chapter already, you're asking (or maybe not). Yes, that's right. Today is my day off of work, and I'm just a typoholic! I'm updating both stories! Yes, I know, amazing…but true. So, here we go:

Pruningshears- Thank you for your review (the first one too! ^_^) And yes, there _will _plenty of action eventual, if my story works out like it has been in my head. But first, gotta set up the characters, right? ^_~

Tao-Fairlight- Thank you so much! I really appreciate your comments!

I don't own Inu Yasha!

**To Live Again**

**Chapter 3: Meet the Higurashi's**

Kagome cast a wary look at her silver-haired companion, "Ano…I think when she said 'walk me there' she meant the bus stop, not actual _to my mothers…" They were presently standing at the bus stop, waiting for non other than the bus._

Yasha crossed his arms and glared at her. "She said to consider it time off with pay. I'm taking as _much advantage of that as I can."_

Rolling her arms, she took a similar pose. "Whatever. Go do whatever you want. I'm just FINE by myself."

"I didn't say I wasn't going to walk you there, wench," He looked down the road to see the bus rapidly approaching them.

"And I'm telling you that I don't want you to!" She shot back, thoroughly pissed off by him and his cold personality.

"Would you just shut up already? The bus is here anyways." He pushed her towards the doors and she stumbled, grabbing the railing on the inside of the steps, steadying herself. Pulling herself up the steps and depositing the right amount of change, she turned her head slightly to see Yasha doing the same.

Seeing her look at him, he glared once more at her, "What?!?"

"Don't you get it? GO AWAY!" She yelled at him. Hearing a low cough, she turned around, only to see that they had an audience of a busload of people, all staring at them with great interest.

Yasha rolled his eyes and pushed her into the only free seat, then sat down next to her. "Would you shut it? You're making everyone stare at us!"

While he was saying this, she was practically hissing at him, "Who said you could sit next to me, you jerk! Go find yourself some other poor sucker to sit next to you!"

As they faced off in a glare competition, a sighed voice from behind them reached their ears, "Ah…young love!"

Blushing, both Yasha and Kagome turned slowly in the seat to look behind at an elderly couple, the older woman smiling at them and the older man glaring at them. "Damn kids, would you just shut up already? My hearing aid is going to break!"

The older woman slapped him on the arm, "Oh, you two just go on with your lovers quarrel! Don't mind this old grouch!"

Quickly turning around in their seats, the two of them called a silent truce for that moment. No need for anyone else to mistake the meaning of their argument.

The bus continued on with its stops, letting people on and off as was its job. About ten minutes into their truce that Yasha felt something wrong. Turning in his seat slightly, he saw what was making the hair on his neck feel like it was standing on end. There, in the seat across and one back from them was a brown-haired, blue eyed guy staring intently at them. Or, more so, at Kagome.

For no reason whatsoever, he had the strangest urge to jump up and strangle him. He settled instead for shooting ice daggers at him with his eyes, hoping he'd get the point. Obviously he wasn't due to the fact that he still stared.

Finally, as if coming out of a trance, the boy broke his eyes away from the young girl and they met with Yasha's. Golden fire glared into blue pools of ice. The boy broke off the stare competition and narrowed his slightly.

Looking away from the annoying male, he glanced out the window over Kagome's head. "Where does your family live anyways, Kyoto?"

Kagome looked out the corner of her eyes at him, raising an eyebrow. "No, just on the outskirts of Tokyo. It _is_ a big city, after all."

Yasha just shrugged and said a mumbled "whatever" and then continued to stare out the window over her head.

The rest of the ride was rather uneventful. Luckily for them, though, it only lasted about fifteen more minutes. As the bus stopped yet again, Kagome made a motion to stand, "This is the stop." Yasha let her up, following her off the bus. He was vaguely aware that other people were getting off at this stop as well, but one was sticking out in his head.

As they stood on the sidewalk, Kagome motioned him in the direction that her mother's was. They started walking when a voice called out to them, "Hey, girl!"

Both of them turned and Yasha almost growled in frustration. There was that guy again!

"Yes? Are you talking to me?" Kagome asked him politely. Yasha stared at her. How could she be so polite to him when he was practically undressing her with his eyes on the bus? 'Cause she _probably didn't notice that, like you did. Hmmm…wonder why __you did?' his inner voice asked him, but then he mentally drop kicked it to make it shut up._

"Oi, what do you want?" Yasha asked him, annoyed. Where did this guy come from, anyways?

The boy narrowed his eyes again as he looked at him, and then shifted his attention back to the girl. "I was just wondering why a beautiful girl like you was hanging around with a jerk like this." He motioned to point at Yasha, but as he had said it, Yasha was no longer there. Instead he was standing in front of him, looking like he was ready to smash in his face.

"Just _who_ the hell do you think you are?" Yasha sneered at him.

"My name is Kouga. And I could ask you the same thing. I saw you yelling at her at the bus stop, then on the bus as well. You need to learn how to treat a lady." He responded, raising an eyebrow at him.

Yasha fumed about this for a second, thinking of a good response, when he suddenly realized that Kouga wasn't in front of him anymore, but instead behind him, talking to Kagome.

"And what is your name, lovely woman?" Kouga took one of Kagome's hands in his own and was staring at her as if the world revolved around her.

Blushing slightly, she told him, "Kagome."

"Well, I'm sorry if this is too bold but Kagome, you are a very beautiful woman." Kouga said softly.

Yasha finally broke himself out of his stupor, staring at them, and quickly jumped between them, "Hey, what the hell! Get away from her!" He glared at him.

"Fine" Kouga announced and looked around Yasha, to Kagome. "I will see you again, Kagome-chan!"

Yasha's eyebrow twitched and just as he was reaching out to punch Kouga, he was gone, walking down the street in the opposite direction from where they were going.

Kagome still had a faint blush on her cheeks as she watched him go, "What an odd guy…"

Yasha stared at her, stunned, "What, you _liked him, or something?"_

The girl turned and glared at him, "Whether I did or didn't what's it to you?"

"Feh, I DON'T care. Let's just get you to your mom's or whatever, and then I can go!"

"Fine with me!" She practically stormed off.

"Fine!" He yelled back, following after her.

*~*~*

As she climbed the rest of the steps to the Higurashi shrine, she stopped and sighed at the sight that greeted her. The shrine had hardly changed at all since she had moved out; her mother and grandfather had maintained it perfectly. The Goshinboku still stood, proud as it ever had to her right. The well house and storage building farther back to her right. The main house directly in the front, and other buildings scattered the grounds to her left. It was always a comfort, coming back home. There was a sense of peace that was in the air here, that she just couldn't seem to find anywhere else.

Yasha stopped as well when she did. Looking around the shrine, he felt a sense of peace begin to overcome him. Confused, he looked at Kagome, "Oi, wench. I thought we were going to your mothers. Why are we at this shrine?"

Kagome rolled her eyes as she looked at him. "This _is my mother's home."_

Yasha looked around again, "You used to live on a shrine?"

Kagome nodded and took a few more steps into the yard. A blur of red running towards her was her only warning as her cousin, Shippo, connected with her waist.

"KAGOME!" He cried out. "You've haven't been to visit in awhile! I was getting worried!"

Kagome smiled and hugged her little cousin to her. He was actually more like a younger brother than a cousin, since they had raised him from so young. But she was reminded every time she looked at him that they weren't truly brother and sister. His father had been her father's brother, and his mother had been a woman from America. He was only half Japanese, and had seemed to get most of his mother's looks, especially the dark red hair and light blue eyes.

"Kagome no neechan? Who is that guy?" Shippo asked, pointing at Yasha. Kagome had forgotten about him. She turned to where he was pointing and saw Yasha standing in front of the Goshinboku tree.

Yasha stared up into the branches of the tree before him. 'What is it about this tree that suddenly seems so familiar?' He asked himself. He had no idea where this feeling was coming from. He felt…like something was unfinished, or almost like something had never been started. 'What is this feeling? This tree…' His thoughts wandered as he felt his hand rise, almost by its own will, and reach towards the tree.

"Yasha?" Kagome called to him, surprised and almost scared by the silent boy.

Pulled out of his reverie a moment before his hand touched the tree, he turned to look at her. "What is it wench?" He asked, feeling upset for no reason.

She raised an eyebrow at him, "Just wondering why you were so quiet all of a sudden."

"Feh." He responded and crossed his arms, then was surprised as the child who had been standing by him ran over and kicked him in the shin. "What the hell?!"

"You can't just call my Kagome no nee-chan names like that, you jerk!" he yelled and raised his foot to kick him again, but was held away by one hand on the top of his head. Looking at a giggling Kagome, he held away the struggling Shippo. "Ano…a little help here?"

Shaking her head, she went over and picked up the squirming boy, "It's alright Shippo."

"Kagome!" Another voice called, and she turned to see her brother, Souta, and mother walking up the shrine steps.

"Souta! Look at you, you've gotten so tall since I last saw you!" Kagome called and, putting Shippo on the ground, went over and pulled her brother into a headlock. The fourteen year-old boy struggled against his sister's vice like grip but found that it was no use.

"Kagome dear, nice to see you. And who is your friend?" Kagome's mother asked, smiling at the white haired boy.

Kagome promptly dropped Souta out of her arms, causing him to almost fall on his face. "Oh, this is Yasha," She introduced him, mumbling under her breath, "…not sure about my _friend_…"

If Mrs. Higurashi heard, she gave no clue to it as she smiled brightly at the boy. "Oh, well I was just about to begin dinner. If you would like to stay Yasha, I'm sure I have more than enough!"

Kagome's mouth dropped open. 'No no no!' Her brain shouted 'DON'T say yes!!'

Yasha seemed to sense what was going on in her head, because he half turned towards her and almost smirked. "Sure, dinner sounds great."

Glaring at him, she coldly turned from him and smiled at Shippo, who was pulling her into the house to show her his new toys.

As Mrs. Higurashi and Souta chatted with him a little, he followed them into the house, casting one last look over his shoulder at the Goshinboku tree. 'I've got to figure out the secret of that tree!'

*~*~*

"Where is he?" Sango almost growled out at Miroku.

He simply shrugged, "I have no idea. Perhaps I _should have gone instead to walk Kagome-chan."_

Sango gave him a look that said all the words possible. So, she instead went on ranting. "I said to walk her to the bus stop, not all the way to the shrine! If he thinks he's getting paid for all the time off, he's wrong!" She paced back and forth a little behind the counter. It was almost closing time, and Mr. Maru would be coming at any time now to pick up his jerk of a nephew, only to find him not here! What would she say? How could she tell him where Yasha was?

As if hearing her thoughts, a voice called out to her, "Where is Yasha?"

Turning, she saw the familiar cold golden eyes of her boss stare at her. 'crap crap crap!' her brain cried, trying to think up a good excuse. But none came. "He…walked another employee home!" Crap, the truth comes out!

Sesshou Maru's looked at her questioningly. "Which employee?"

"Higurashi Kagome, Sir. He took her to her mother's."

His golden eyes narrowed slightly at the name. With a nod, he turned and left out the back door and got into his car. Why, did it seem that his 'nephew' was drawn to that girl again? He pulled out of the parking lot and started on his way to the Higurashi Shrine.

Like said before, you don't live for as many years as Sesshou had and not pick up on some things. He had learned the ability of sensing those souls that had been reincarnated, those that were demons, and those that held power. And he knew all about that girl Kagome.

He sensed it the first time he had met her. She held an intense power, one that even he had been drawn to at first. He was surprised that more demons like him hadn't sensed it yet, but perhaps that was because of the lack of demons nowadays. Or maybe just because he was so powerful. He chose to believe the latter.

And he could tell from one glance at her who she was. Just as his 'nephew' Yasha was his reincarnated brother, Kagome was that Kikyo woman's reincarnate. The one who had taken his brothers life in the beginning. He didn't know all the details surrounding their deaths; it had been five hundred some years ago after all. He wasn't sure if it was wise for them to get to know each other. No that he cared _that_ much about Yasha, but he wasn't looking forward to a reenactment of they're past lives.

So with those thoughts in mind, he continued towards the Higurashi Shrine.

*~*~*

Since her daughter was visiting, Mrs. Higurashi had made a special dinner of her favorite meal, Oden. Yasha looked on in amazement as Kagome practically sang the word 'Oden!' and began to gobble it down.

"So, Yasha? How did you meet our Kagome?" Grandpa Higurashi asked him from across the table, glancing at the boy. 'Such odd hair and eyes…if I didn't know better, I'd think there was something with this boy.'

Yasha looked at the old man across the table. "I work with her." He said, thinking that should clear up any questions they should have. Why were they acting like they were a couple or something? Making him sit next to her, and staring at him like a pack of starving dogs. 'Hasn't Kagome ever brought a guy home before, or what?'

The Higurashi family continued to question him about there relationship. He looked at Kagome for help, but she apparently was too happy indulging in her Oden to notice the kind of questions being asked.

Just as Yasha was about to break and yell at them all that he would _never_ be involved with a brat-like wench as she was, when there came a knock at the door.

"I wonder who would be here at this time of day." Mrs. Higurashi went to the door and then returned after a minute. "Yasha, your ride is here. But please, finish eating. I have enough for you as well, Mr…?" She turned made a motion to offer the person who had followed her in a seat.

"Maru." He supplied for her. "And, no, thank you. I have already eaten." Well, that was a lie. But as a youkai, he really had no need to eat like humans did.

Yasha's eyes just about bulged out when he saw his uncle standing there. 'Crap, now I'll probably get it!' He thought, and put down his bowl. "I am done now anyways. Thank you, Mrs. Higurashi, for the food." He mumbled, being polite only enough to keep the glare from his uncle down some. 

"Oh sure, Yasha, it was nice to meet you!" Mrs. Higurashi called out, while Souta and Shippo waved. Kagome had almost laughed at the expression on his face when he saw Mr. Maru walk in and was just now recovering. "See you at work tomorrow."

Yasha snorted and responded, "Whatever."

Sesshou nodded to them and walked out of the house with Yasha in tow. Once they were a good distance from the house and walking down the steps of the shrine, Sesshou finally asked Yasha, "What exactly were you doing there anyways?"

Yasha rolled his eyes at his uncle, "That girl Sango at worked asked me to take her to her parent's so I did. What's the big deal anyways?"

Sesshou turned and looked at him for a moment before speaking. He was so much like his reincarnate, Inu Yasha. The same looks, the same thoughts seemed to run through both of them. "Yasha, I think it would be a good idea for you not to get close to that girl."

"Feh, what do you mean? Why would I want to anyways?" Yasha crossed his arms and continued to walk down the shrine steps, towards his uncle's car. Sesshou watched him walk down. 'Still…you are too much like that hanyou brother I once had…I believe that girl will be the fall of you again.'

Yeah! Another chapter! Anyways, Review please! Reviews keep my little muse typing!


	5. Chapter 4: Strange Happenings

Well, I'm updating…AGAIN. I've written two chapters for both of my stories today…that's over 2,000 words per story. Geez, that's sad. THAT'S how I spend my days off….oh well, I like it ^_^

**To Live Again******

**Chapter Four: Strange Happenings**

_Sunlight shone brightly around her as she walked through a field, the grass coming up past her ankles. A breeze blew by, shaking some strands of her dark obsidian locks free to dance across her face. She looked down into her hand to see a shining pink crystal. It appeared to beautiful…yet so deadly. She would be glad to be rid of it. Hearing a light rustling behind her, she was about to turn when a sharp pain pierced her right shoulder, knocking her to the ground with the force. The jewel that she held, yet hated so much, fell just beyond her fingertips. As she reached for it, a foot suddenly appeared and stepped on it, bringing more pain to her already abused body. As the person bent down and picked up the jewel, she finally looked up to see the perpetrators face 'no!' her mind called, as she realized who had done this to her._

_"I have no intentions of becoming human," He spoke to her, his mouth drawn into a sneer as he watched her suffering. "But I will take the jewel, nonetheless."_

_Turning his back to her as she lay in a pool of her own blood, she screamed, "WHY HAVE YOU BETRAYED ME!"_

Kagome awoke with a start, clutching her shoulder. The pain was so real, so vivid. "What _was that…" she whispered, receiving no answer as the pain in her shoulder slowly subsided._

Realizing she wasn't probably wasn't going to be able to sleep anymore, she glanced at the clock. It was only seven o'clock. She didn't start work until nine, which meant she had some time to waste for once.

After a quick shower and breakfast, Kagome went to her closet to find something to wear. As she looked through her closet, she began to think about the day before. Meeting Yasha… 'What a Jerk!' She thought angrily, moving the articles of clothing out of the way as she searched for the right ensemble. 'He just shows up, starts calling me a wench, bitch and other names! What, does he think that'll make him friends?' She took a deep breath as she picked out a black skirt and threw it on to her bed, then searched for an accompanying shirt. For some reason she felt like dressing a little more…nice today. She wasn't exactly sure why. 'One thing is for sure, is sure as hell isn't for that ass!' She nodded in agreement with her inner voice and sighed out loud. Finally deciding on a red, slightly clingy sweater, she hurriedly got dressed and headed out to work…_again._

*~*~*

Sango heard the bell ring above the door and looked up to greet her friend. "Good Morning, Kagome-chan!"

"Good Morning, Sango-chan." She smiled brightly back at her.

"Are you feeling a little bit better today?"

Kagome nodded and put her purse down underneath the counter. "Yes, seeing my family really did help me a lot. Thank you Sango-chan for letting me go."

"No problem…but, did Yasha go with you the whole way?" Sango asked curiously.

Kagome rolled her eyes and nodded. "I told him to go, but no- he's too pig headed to listen!"

Sango stifled a giggle and looked at her. "Well, I don't know if he'll be back or not, Mr. Maru seemed pretty upset with him yesterday."

"Really?" Kagome frowned, a little upset that Yasha would possibly not come back. 'Whoa!' She yelled at herself 'Since when did I care about him at all _anyways_? He's just some jerk. Good riddance if he doesn't come back!'

Sango watched as the different emotions played across her face. She wasn't blind, she saw the attraction that they had for each other, it was obvious! 'So…she's in the denial stage right now…well, it's the last step to acceptance!'

*~*~*

_He was running through the forest. He had to meet some one; he knew he had to hurry so she didn't think he had changed his mind. He enjoyed the feel of the grass, the breeze blowing through his white hair. He felt so free when he ran like this, like he was in control of any thing and every thing._

_A sound caught his attention and he swiveled his ears towards the sound. Stopping quickly, he was able to avoid the arrows that suddenly flew by him, threatening to injure him. Looking up to where they had come from, he was shocked to see who he did._

_"Why?" He questioned but wasn't sure if it was actually said or thought._

_"Shine, Inu Yasha!" The woman screamed and prepared to aim another arrow at him…_

"Yasha!" Sesshou yelled at him again, trying to wake him from whatever he seemed to be dreaming.

Finally, Yasha's eyes flew open as he struggled to wake up completely. "What!"

"Get up. You're going to be late for work!" His uncle walked away gracefully to leave.

"What? I have to go back there? What the hell for?"

Sesshou turned around, glaring at him, "Need I remind you that you live here, rent free, with no charges for the things you use. You will do as I say, or get out!"

Yasha "Fehed" as Sesshou left him to get ready for the day.

*~*~*

The day had been mostly uneventful for them. Yasha had shown up to work, and after a few snide comments had passed between them, nothing more. Sango directed them to work in separate parts of the store, just in case of another outburst.

As Yasha found himself filling the shelves of the 'Science Fiction' (and remembered to put them _alphabetically this time), he glanced over to where he could see Kagome sitting with at one of the small activity tables in the children's section. 'Why does she always get the easy jobs?' he thought to himself. He looked back to what he was doing, but was brought to look again at her as he heard her soft laughter, talking with the kids. It looked like they were making jewelry. 'She _does_ look good in red…' He thought then mentally kicked himself. 'Oh no, DON'T go there! We are NOT interested in her, she is just some snotty girl, who just happens to be semi-cute, and always smells good and….' His mind went out to lunch after that, just watching her._

"She's a cutie, ne?" A voice broke thorough his musings. Jumping slightly, he turned to look at the guy he had met yesterday, Miroku.

Yasha snorted and looked back at the books, "If you like that kind of girl."

Miroku nodded in agreement, "Yes, I agree. She is very cute, and nice and friendly. But Sango's more my type. I like a more aggressive woman." He grinned lecherously and walked back towards the front of the store.

Yasha gave one more glance at Kagome, then decided to concentrate on the task at hand. 'Just don't think about her!' he told himself. As if that ever worked.

*~*~*

Kagome headed up towards the front of the store, holding the necklace she had made in her hands. She was actually quite proud of it and planned to give it to Shipp as a present. It had dark reddish-brown beads with longer red beads that resembled teeth between the rounder ones. Holding it loosely in her hands, she realized the path she was taking was going right by where Yasha was working. 'Great…just what I need!' She thought sarcastically and decided to just ignore him and walk right by.

As she was walking by, she felt a tug on her hand and when she looked, the necklace was gone. Whirling around, she faced him. He was holding the necklace in his hands, looking at her smugly.

"So, did you make this for your boyfriend or something?" He asked her sarcastically.

Crossing her arms, she glared at him. "Not that its any of your business, but no."

"Good, then you won't mind if I have it then?" He pulled it over his head and around his neck.

"Yes I DO mind, it's for my cousin! Now give it back!" She tried to reach it, but he kept moving backwards, outside her reach.

Spying a box of books on the floor directly behind him, and with her anger rising, she thought up a plan quickly. Moving quickly, she grabbed his arms and pushed as hard as she could. "Why don't you SIT DOWN!" She sneered sarcastically as he fell to the ground to land on his butt.

But something was a little different than she planned. She hadn't planned on the necklace around him to suddenly glow pink and slam his body down onto the floor, or for it to pin him there for a few moments before allowing him to get up. But, then again, life doesn't go as you plan it, does it?

'What was that?' She asked herself, actually feeling worried for the jerk who was constantly tormenting her. "Are you alright?" She asked, kneeling down by him.

He reached up to try and pull the necklace off, only to find that he couldn't budge it. "What the hell _is this thing?"_

"It's just a necklace…I don't know what happened!" She said, trying to help him to his feet, but he brushed her off.

"I'm not that weak you know, it doesn't even hurt." He eyed her closely. "What are you, a witch or something?"

Kagome fumed silently, "I am NOT a witch. I just so happen to major in Religious Studies. I'm studying to become a Miko."

Yasha raised an eyebrow and pointed to the necklace. "Well, take this damn thing off then wench!"

Brow furrowing, she crossed her arms, "No, I think that if you want that necklace so much, you can just KEEP IT!" She turned and began to stomp away.

"Wait, take this thing off first, wench!"

"Why don't you just SIT on it?" She yelled back at him, sending him to the floor again.

Making her way up to Sango and Miroku at the front counter, she sat down behind it, next to Sango. Anger was practically radiating off of her.

"So…what was all that, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked, turning towards her.

She smiled weakly at her fellow classmate, "I think I just learned how to do a subduing spell, Miroku-sama!"

*~*~*

The rest of the day passed relatively quickly. After a few more "wenchs" and "sits" were issued, both sides seemed to have called a silent truce again.

"Sango-chan, we're still going out after work, right?" Kagome asked her near closing.

"Yup, I didn't forget!" She smiled cheerfully before noticing an all too familiar hand creeping down her back. Smacking it away quickly she glared at him, but realized he was smiling back.

"Oh, you two lovely ladies are going out tonight?" He asked, obviously having overheard them.

"Yes, Miroku-sama, would you like to come too?" Kagome asked quickly, ignoring the death glare she was receiving from Sango.

"Oh, I would never turn down two lovely ladies such as your selves." Miroku smiled that smile that was only his (aka lecherous). "But, shouldn't you invite some one else as well? Then it will be a double date?"

Sango glared at him, "Just who do you think you're on a date with?"

"Why you of course, Sango." He replied simply, ignoring the glare.

Sango sighed, then looked over and the smirking Kagome. Oh, she'd wipe that smirk right off her face. "Oh, Yasha!" She called over to him as he walked up mumbling about wenchs and sits.

He stopped and glared at the three of them, what could they be planning? Miroku looked giddy, Sango looked to be smiling evilly, and Kagome looked pissed. Hmm…maybe it wasn't something so bad if Kagome didn't like it. "What?"

"Would you like to go out with us tonight?" Oh, it was that bad. No wonder Kagome didn't like it. 

"Hell no, why would I want to spend any more time than I have to with _her." He responded, pointing at Kagome, who in turn, felt her anger grow larger._

"What, like I'm that bad?" She yelled at him, daring him to answer.

He glared back at her, and crossed his arms defiantly, "Yes!"

Before she had a chance to retort, Sango interrupted, "I'll pay for it!"

Yasha thought for a second. Eat with Sesshou the Ice King and listen to him down talk him, or eat with three whacked out space cadets. The answer was obvious.

"Alright, I'm in. When are we going?"

Alright, that's it for now! It's a little shorter than the other chapters, but I'm gonna fall asleep at my keyboard if I don't stop now. (BTW- Shine = Die in Japanese)

As always, review…or else I might cry!

Ok, I won't cry…but, I'll think about it!


	6. Chapter 5: Dinner for Four

Alright! Back here again with another chapter! Yeah! I do not, nor will I probably ever, own Inu Yasha!

Review Responses:

_Mistress Fluffy_- Thanks for the review…all will be explained…eventually ^_^

_Pruningshears_- Indeed it _is_ a necessary talent. Thanks for reviewing!

_Fresca_- I use to hate AU's too…but I read a few and realized that they aren't that bad…and now I'm writing one. How odd the world is.

_Tina_- Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like the story so far.

_Pensquared_- Yes, what would a story be without the inevitable "sit" command?

_VioletRose4_- Thanks for the review!

_Starrynight323_- Thanks for the review _and_ the IY smiles…Your review is just as good as 100 ^_^

****

**To Live Again**

**Chapter Five: Dinner for Four**

"Mou…Sango-chan! I can't believe you talked me into coming with _him_!" Kagome complained in a whisper to her friend as they walked into the restaurant that doubled as a club.

"Really, Kagome-chan, you were coming with me anyways. Besides, this is sweet revenge for inviting that pervert!" Sango whispered back, glaring at her friend.

"Yeah, but at least he's not a jerk!"

"Oh yeah, instead he just feels every girl up! Fair is fair, Kagome-chan!"

"Ah, we're right here…" Miroku sweat-dropped and waved, drawing their attention to him.

"And we can hear you." Yasha grumbled, crossing his arms as he glared at them.

"Well, if you don't like it, you can just _leave_!" Kagome glared back, pointing at Yasha.

"Like hell, bitch! I got promised food, and I'm not going anywhere till I get it!"

"Oh, a table for four? Looks like a double date to me!" The hostess cheerfully smiled at them and began to lead the way to the table.

"Double date my ass…" Sango muttered before feeling a too-familiar hand rubbing against that certain part of her anatomy. "Pervert!" she yelled, knocking the hand, and man, down to the ground before storming away to follow the hostess.

*~*~*

"So, Yasha, do you go to college around here?" Kagome asked him nervously, trying to lighten the mood around the table. Yasha was glaring at the table while Sango glared at Miroku, who just smiled all around the table and chatted about pretty much nothing. It was quite nerve-wracking.

Yasha glanced at her, surprise in his eyes, which quickly glared again, "No."

'Ok…_that went well…' Trying again, she struggled to remain cheerful, "Oh, so where do you go?"_

Yasha almost growled his words at her, "Look wench, I don't go _anywhere_ to college. I don't go."

"Oh" was all Kagome could reply before looking away again, embarrassed at her assumption. 'Great, now he'll probably really hate me! Probably thinks I'm just some stuck up snob or something.'

Before anyone could say anything more, the waiter came and took their orders. Once he had left, Kagome glanced around the table at her friends. Sango looked almost as nervous as she was, but Miroku was still smiling like a loon, still babbling away. 'What is his problem? Is he actually enjoying this?'

Casting a side glance at Yasha, she saw him glaring at the table again. 'Ok…this is really sucking. I know I'm not on a date or anything but still…it's so _uncomfortable_…'

Yasha was having some thing close to the same thoughts. 'This sucks. Why did I agree to this again? Oh yeah, free food. But…this is kind of uncomfortable. I wish she would say _something…' Sneaking a peak at her out from under his bangs, he could see she also must have been thinking about something. 'Should I try to be nice?' he found himself wondering before a swift mental kick sent that one flying._

'Maybe he's just nervous?' Kagome looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. 'He doesn't really know us; maybe he just doesn't know how to act around us?'

Sango watched the side-glances both were shooting each other and sighed. Miroku was going on about something or other, but she wasn't paying attention to him. No, she was more focused instead on watching the body language displayed between the two in front of her. Kagome would glance at him, he would glare away. She'd look back at her plate; he'd glance at her from under his hair.

Sighing again, she wondered what she could do to make conversation arise between them. Maybe leaving them alone for awhile, but that would mean taking the "houshi-in-training" with her. As much as that thought made her cringe, she realized that it might be their only chance.

"Come on, Miroku-sama, let's go dance." She got up from her seat, eyes on anything but him.

Miroku's eyes practically bulged from his head. His beautiful, if not violent, Sango that he had adored for so long wanted to dance with him? Buddha was definitely smiling down on him. Before she could change her mind, he quickly nodded and stood as well.

Kagome and Yasha both quickly snapped their attention to the two standing members of their table.

"Where are you two going?" Kagome asked, a little fear creeping into her voice. 'Oh, don't say you're going _leave me here with him!'_

"We're going to dance!" Miroku announced happily while Sango rolled her eyes. When he moved to take her hand, she quickly moved it away.

"But _no touching!" Sango glared at him as he nodded his agreement. The two made there way to the dance floor, leaving Kagome and Yasha alone at the table._

As the silence came over them again, Kagome sighed. 'Some friends _they_ are!'

Yasha shook his head, finally breaking the ice between them, "That guy…is a loser."

Kagome glared at him, "Hey, Miroku-sama's a nice guy. He just doesn't know how to show his affections…the right way."

Yasha looked at her doubtfully, "Right…that's why he just doesn't grab at Sango, but every other female," He snorted before continuing, "Even you."

"Excuse me? You are such a jerk! I should _never_ have come here with you!" She yelled at him, giving him her patented 'death glare'.

Yasha crossed his arms and smirked at her, "Oh, come on Ms. High and Mighty, finish telling me about your lovely college."

Kagome's glare turned into a look of surprise, "What?"

Looking away, he huffed, "Please, don't act like you don't know. 'Oh, where do you go to college?'" He mimicked her voice.

"I was just trying to make conversation…" She trailed off quietly, feeling worse than before.

"Well, don't just go around 'assuming' things about people for conversation! Not everyone has had your privileged life!" He looked back at her, expecting her to be glaring and make some sort of rude comment, but found instead that she was trying to hold back tears. 'Wait…what the hell?'

"I'm sorry" She sniffled out, "You're right…I just assumed that you were in college because of your uncle. I shouldn't have," She sniffled again, and a tear managed to seep out one eye.

"W-wait! Don't cry! I'm sorry…I was just being a jerk!" He waved his hand frantically towards her, trying to get her to stop.

She wiped at her eyes desperately, upset at showing so much emotion. 'Why am I letting him effect me so much?' She looked at him sadly, "No, I'm sorry, really. I'm just a stuck-up cry baby."

For some reason, he couldn't stand hearing her put herself down, "No, just- stop crying and forget about it!" He stuck his hand out towards her, "Truce?"

She looked at his hand, then to him, then back to his hand in surprise before taking it, "Truce."

As the hand touched his, Yasha felt something like a jolt run through his body. 'What was that?' He asked himself, puzzling over it. It was a warm feeling, familiar in a way. Blushing slightly when he realized he was still holding her hand, he pulled it away, as if it had been scalded.

Kagome's heart jumped when her hand met his. It felt like…a bond of some sort, flowing through them. Bu how could that be? They had just met! When he pulled his hand away, she turned slightly, blushing, thinking about the feel of his hand. 'Why did it feel…almost familiar?'

A low cough broke they're daze, bringing both of their eyes up to meet the person before them.

*~*~*

"Mou! What is he doing here?!?" Sango almost yelled into Miroku's ear.

Instead of dancing like she had claimed they would, she had instead dragged him past the dance floor, to the other side, where they were now watching the two.

"Sango, aren't we supposed to be dancing?" Miroku stood next to her, fighting the urge to let his hands wander as he too watched the couple at the table.

"Oh, come on Miroku-sama, I know you love spying on people as much as me, so just watch!" She pointed at the couple and glared at him.

"Fine, but you still owe me a dance," Miroku moved closer to her to get a better view of the two.

"Why did _he have to come along? They were finally talking and –Eep!" She cried and smacked the wandering hand's owner to the floor._

*~*~*

"Oh, Higurashi-san! How are you feeling?"

Kagome groaned inwardly, "Hello, Hojo-kun."

Yasha glared at him, 'This guy is really dense, isn't he?'

Hojo kept smiling down at the two, "I stopped by yesterday with some tea to help you feel better, but you had already left! I told Sango-san that I'd bring it today, but she said you didn't work. But then you weren't home either! Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm just fine, Hojo-kun!" She managed a smile, but inside was screaming, 'You baka! Don't you get a hint?'

'What _is this guy, a stalker?' Yasha frowned at that thought, eyeing the guy before him. For some reason that he couldn't place, he really __really didn't like this guy. 'He's a little scrawny thing but that doesn't mean he wouldn't do anything like that.'_

"So, Higurashi, have you thought more of my question?"

Kagome managed to keep the smile pasted on her face while she tried to keep from falling out of her chair. 'Ok…I know he can be dense but he's not stupid, is he? He can't _really be asking me that, can he? First I ran out screaming, then I hide from him, now he finds me at a dance club with another guy no less, and still he wants to know if I'll marry him?'_

Even with 'Hell No!' resonating through her head, she kept the smile on her face, "You see Hojo-kun, about that. I'm not ready for something like that…"

Hojo frowned, "But Higurashi, you're already twenty. If you don't begin to settle down, soon you'll be an old spinster!"

'He did NOT just say that with a serious face, did he?' Kagome's mind screamed. 'Old spinster? At _twenty?? Is this boy insane, or just some chauvinist…argh!' Even her brain right now couldn't make out adequate thoughts._

Yasha looked at the boy, 'He just said she was going to be an old spinster huh? What a baka. Yeah, that'll win her over for sure. What a moron.'

Regaining her mental composure, Kagome smiled at him again, "I know that I'm already twenty, but-"

"And there's nobody else who's interested, right?"

'Ouch. Now, that hurt.' Maybe it hurt even more just hearing it come out of the dense boy's mouth. Eyebrow twitching, she tried to hold back all the nasty things flowing through her mind, but for some reason couldn't. Opening her mouth, her eyes narrowed, "What, am I some-"

Before that thought could be finished, another voice spoke up. "Yes, there is."

Too shocked to finish her own thoughts, she stared wide-eyes at the white-haired boy, "…Yasha?"

His eyes were closed, and he was taping his fingers on his arm in an annoyed fashion. Finally opening his eyes, he looked directly at her, daring her to say it wasn't true so she could deal with Hojo on her own.

"But…Higurashi, I thought you were my girlfriend?"

'With ideas like _that?!?' Her brain screamed, but once again before she could answer, Yasha did._

"Did you ever even ask, Hobo, or did you just assume in your little mind that she was?"

"It's Hojo." He corrected uncomfortably.

"Whatever. So, did you? Or did you just decide?" Yasha glared at him, completely ignoring the dumb-struck girl.

"Well…"

"That's what I thought. So why don't you just leave now before I have to _really_ embarrass you?"

Hojo quickly nodded and, without even a glance at Kagome, turned and practically ran away.

"Well, I don't think he'll be bothering you again." Yasha turned away from her. 'Why did I DO that? Why do I care?'

"Thank you, Yasha…" Kagome quietly spoke, completely confused by his actions. 'Why…why would he do that for me?'

"Whatever." Yasha huffed and turned away.

A moment of silence lapsed between them, then Yasha spoke, "So, do you want a drink or something?"

'Why is he acting almost…nice?' "Sure," Kagome answered, still puzzled by his actions as she watched him go to the bar to order the drinks.

Pondering her thoughts a little more, she almost didn't notice the tingling feeling at the back of her mind. 'What is that? I've never felt anything like this before…it's like something's calling me?'

She looked around a little, almost standing from her seat. Seeing nothing, she sat with a sigh, 'Alright, now I'm imagining things…'

Again that pulling feeling cam and she felt compelled to follow it, almost without thought. She was soon out of her seat and to the dance floor, weaving in and out of dancing couples. 'Why can't I seem to control my body?' Her brain screamed as she took another step forward. The blinking lights around her seemed to blind her more, as she continued to step towards the middle of the floor. 'This feeling…something's wrong!'

Suddenly gaining control again, she whirled around as she heard a deafening noise, almost like an explosion to her left.

Yelling out in surprise along with most of the occupants of the dance floor, she started to move away from the noise when the smoke began to billow into the area. A heavy hand clamped down on her should and an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back towards the sound.

"Let me go! Who the hell are you?" She yelled, clawing at the arm around her waist.

"Don't worry, little miko, we have plans for you!" A voice hissed into her ear, making her feel frozen in the arms.

As she was pulled further back into the club, her eyes frantically searched for someone, anyone to help her. The smoke filtering around the dance floor covered mostly everything, allowing no one to really see their ways out. The panic that had ensued from the explosion had cause a mad rush towards the exits, a flood of people blocking everything from sight.

All Yasha could see were people streaming by him as he searched for his companions. Where had Kagome gone? He had left her at the table, but when he had turned with their drinks, she was gone. That was only a moment before the explosion.

Pushing his way through the hordes of people, he searched for Sango and Miroku; maybe she had gone with them? Part of his brain was telling him to just get out and not care, another, more dominant part of it was telling him that something was not right. He had a nagging feeling for some reason that there was something behind the explosion.

He finally managed to reach the middle of the dance floor when he noticed Sango and Miroku making their way to the back exit.

"Hey!" He called, running over to them, "Have you seen Kagome?"

"No," Sango replied while Miroku shook his head, "Wasn't she with you?"

"Yeah, but she disappeared when that explosion went off."

The smoke was finally beginning to clear, making it easier to see around the darkened hall.

"Maybe she's already outside?" Miroku suggested, half guessing. He knew, however, that Kagome would never have fled without making sure her friends were alright.

"She wouldn't just leave like that!" Sango said worriedly as another voice called to them.

"Sango-chan, Miroku-sama?" A young girl with shoulder length black hair called to them as she ran towards them.

"Rin-chan? What's wrong?" Sango recognized her as a one of her classmates.

"Sango-chan! Kagome's in trouble!"

Alright, that's it…for now ^_^

Please review!


	7. Chapter 6: When Past Lives Rear Their Ug...

Yeah! I'm actually updating! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up, for those of you who care that is. I had issues between school, work, and sleep. Not to mention my muse was kidnapped. Well, muse-napped. Ok, she actually faked the muse-napping to get a vacation.

This chapter may get confusing. To make up for the lack of update, it is a little longer. I hope you enjoy!

And I don't own Inu Yasha, or any of the characters. Although, I _do_ have a Kagome keychain that says "Osuwari!" when you press a button. Does that count?

****

**To Live Again**

**Chapter Six: When Past Lives Rear Their Ugly Heads**

Yasha looked down at the girl that stood before him, "What do you mean, Kagome's in trouble?" Sango and Miroku looked at her as well, waiting for an explanation.

Rin took in a deep breath and looked from Sango and Miroku, to the boy before that she didn't know, "I was in the back bathroom when I heard the explosion. I opened the door a little when I heard yelling, and I saw some man dragging Kagome-chan down the hallway, towards the emergency exit!"

"What?!?" they all shouted as Rin turned towards the hallway again, waving them to follow her.

"Why would someone want to take Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked, running after Rin.

"That Hobo guy or whatever wouldn't do something like this, would he?" Yasha questioned, thinking back to the confrontation just a little earlier.

"It wasn't Hojo, I know who _he is," Rin called from where she was leading the group down the hall, "This guy…I've never seen before…he was kind of creepy," She shuddered unconsciously as she thought back to the scene._

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Miroku trailed off from behind Yasha, causing him to cast a sideways glance back at him. He himself was having a bad feeling too, on top of the feeling of confusion of why he was caring in the first place.

"He went out this way!" Rin yelled as she pushed open the emergency door that was slightly ajar. Sango went next, and then screamed as a dark figure jumped at her from the dark alleyway behind the club. The person shoved her into Rin, causing the girl to slam into the wall outside, collapsing to the ground unconscious.

"What the hell?" Yasha yelled as the boys quickly followed out the door. Yasha slammed into the dark figure, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Miroku, standing protectively in front of the girls, shouted at the figure, "Who are you?"

The dark figure laughed and lifted his head up so that two glowing red eyes could be seen in the dark alley. "Does it matter? You'll be dead soon anyways!"

*~*~*

"Let me go, you jerk!" Kagome yelled, willing her body to struggle against her attacker. For some reason, she couldn't move at all, she had just gotten started being able to speak. Had he cast some kind of spell on her? Was it starting to wear off?

"Don't worry, little miko, my master only wants to see you," the voice hissed again, an undercurrent of humor laced in with the menace in his voice.

"Why do you keep calling me that? Who is your master? Let me go!" Kagome felt a tingle in her chest, feeling it flow through her into her arms. She heard the man gasp before dropping her from his arms.

Not wasting a moment of her good luck, and feeling her body come back into control; she did the first thing that came to mind. She quickly turned and kneed him in the groin. '_My mom would be proud' she thought as he fell to his knees. Turning again, she began to run back the way she though she had came. Where had he taken her? It was dark, and it seemed to be outside, but almost like a maze of walls. '_Is this the alleyway being the club? Nothing looks familiar!'__

Running frantically, she tried to figure out where to go. For some reason, the path she thought the man had taken wasn't taking her back to the club; it seemed instead to be taking her deeper into the darkness. _'Where is everyone??'_

*~*~*

"So we're going to die, huh? That's funny, 'cause as I see it, you're just a little outnumbered there." Yasha scoffed at their attacker, who just continued to chuckle.

As Yasha faced off with the man attacking them, Sango crawled over to where Rin lay.

"How is she?" Miroku asked, not taking his eyes off the man still shrouded in shadows.

"She's got a bad bump on the back of her head, but I think that she will otherwise be fine." Sango replied, laying the girl flat on the ground.

"Are you the one who took Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked, glaring at him the whole time.

Again the creature laughed mockingly, "Our master always gets what he wants…"

Yasha sneered, "And who's your master anyways?"

The red eyes, the only real thing they could see of him, narrowed at him, "You are not worthy of knowing his name!"

Now pissed off, Yasha flew at the shadowed man, punching his squarely where he figured his jaw was. The hit was perfect, and sent the shadowed man stumbling backwards, towards where some dim light was shining from a dirt-encrusted light on the building. Pulling back in surprise, Yasha, Miroku, and Sango could only gasp in surprise.

Standing in the dim light was what appeared to be half man/half monster. From the waist up he was of human build, but the bottom half was that of a bull. His face, though colored as a human's skin, was shaped in that of a bull. On top of his head lay a pair of small horns.

"Now you see my true form, weaklings!" The creature smirked at them, "Now you will die!"

"It's not human." Miroku summed up, using his great wisdom.

Sango raised an eyebrow at him, "Ya think?"

"No shit, bouzu! What's your point?" Yasha snapped at him, eyes never leaving the odd man/monster before him.

Miroku closed his eyes momentarily before stepping forward, next to Yasha. "I have no intentions of dying tonight. And I have no qualms about killing a monster."

Understanding flooded upon Yasha as his smirk grew wider, "Exactly my thoughts…"

"You think you puny humans stand a chance against me? I'd like to see you try!"

"You asked for it," Yasha replied, leaping at the man and aiming his fist at his head. At the last minute, the bull-man moved out of its way, and his own fist connected with Yasha's stomach. Doubling over for a moment, Yasha quickly recovered with an uppercut that sent the man backwards a few steps.

"I am _so glad I wore pants today!" Sango exclaimed from Yasha's right as she landed a round house kick to the monsters chest._

"Where'd you learn that?" Miroku questioned her.

Raising an eyebrow, she quickly dodged as the monster swiped at her, "Self-defense class."

Miroku laughed nervously, then reached inside his jacket. Pulling out a few sheets of paper, he held them up before his face.

"What the hell are you doing, Miroku?" Yasha called to him as he punched at the monster again.

Miroku opened one eye at him and replied, "Ofudas."

"You take your school work out to clubs with you, houshi-sama?" Sango asked sarcastically.

Ignoring her comments, he mumbled a few words, and then threw them at the monster. As they stuck to his face, the bull-man screamed in pain, "No, it can't be! How can these weakling humans have defeated me?!" He then dispersed into dust before them.

Sango blinked at the dust cloud that slowly disappeared, "Well, that was interesting…"

"Come on, we've got to find Kagome!" Yasha started walking forward when Sango's voice stopped him.

"What are we going to do about Rin-chan?"

"I'll find someone to help her, and then I'll catch up with you," Miroku said, walking back towards the unconscious girl.

Sango narrowed her eyes in suspicion before nodding in agreement. "Alright Miroku. But if you so much as touch her…"

"I know, I know. Now go!"

With that, Sango and Yasha took off down the alleyway to hopefully find Kagome.

*~*~*

_'I am soo screwed!_' Kagome thought as she ran along one corridor, than another. She had no idea where she was, or if the man who attacker her was following her or not.

Turning another corner, she found herself exiting the maze of walls and entered into a larger area. "Where the hell _am_ I now?!"

She was on a cement platform, having come out of the alley on to a loading dock. Walking to the edge, she saw that she could easily jump down, it only being about four feet up or so. But the parking lot was enclosed with chain-link fencing and the gate appeared to be close. Further out from the fence lay what appeared to be a thick forest.

"How far did I freaking run?" She exclaimed, then spun around as a noise behind her drew her attention.

"Who's there?" There was only a minimal amount of light coming from the parking lot behind her, and not much fell on to the platform. She thought that she saw what appeared to be the outline of a person standing about fifteen feet away. The shape took a step forward and Kagome took a couple steps to the side, not being able to step back due to the edge of the platform.

"What do you want?" Kagome cried out, the stress of the night finally building up within her.

"What do you think?" The figure stepped out of the shadows to stand before Kagome. He was a young man, probably only a few years older than her. His long, wavy brown hair fell over his shoulders while his crimson eyes glared at her. She knew that she had never seen him before, but there was something there. Something that felt almost familiar, and not in a good way. "It's been a long time, Kikyo!"

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "Kikyo? I'm not Kikyo, I'm Kagome!" All this time, these thugs were after the wrong girl? She would have laughed, if, of course, she wasn't the girl they were harassing.

His crimson eyes locked on hers and narrowed, "Kagome, Kikyo. You are the same." A sneer came across his face as he took another step forward. Suddenly, a hand shot forward and grabbed her around the neck, holding her in the air.

Grabbing and clawing at his vice-like grip on her neck, she screamed, "Who are you!? Let me go!!"

"Not until I get what I came for, little girl!" He stopped and looked towards the alleyway that Kagome had come from. "Looks like we have company…"

*~*~*

Yasha came running out of the alley and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the man with Kagome. Sango came quickly after and froze as well. "Kagome-chan?"

The man chuckled as he looked at the two, and then directed his attention to Yasha. "Inu Yasha…" He smirked and lowered the girl a little, but still kept his grip around her neck firm. "We meet again."

_'That name…why is that name so familiar?'_ Yasha thought to himself, as a headache suddenly came, almost overpowering his senses. It seemed to be a drumming noise, like a heartbeat, pounding in his ears.

Sango gasped as Yasha's form appeared to be pulsating. "Yasha…what's going on?"

Memories seemed to be flooding back towards him, memories of a past life. Before his eyes they flew. A woman, a village, a jewel. '_Kikyo…betrayed me. Killed me. All for a jewel…'_

Kagome's hands stopped pulling at her assailant once her eyes fell on Yasha. '_What's wrong with him?' _Yasha, at this point, was clutching his head in pain while his body still seemed to be pulsating. "What are you doing to him?" Kagome screamed at the man still holding her neck and began to scratch at him again. Somehow, for some reason, she knew that he was the reason for Yasha's pain.

The man smirked more and dropped Kagome flatly on the cement. Watching as she rubbed her swore backside, he laughed, "You are pitiful."

Glaring up at him from her spot on the ground, she spat back, "Your not so hot yourself, buddy!" Seeing an opening, one of her legs shot up to try and get him in the abdomen.

Unfortunately for her, this guy wasn't as dense as the previous guy she had gotten away from. As she moved to kick him, he seemed to sense it and grabbed her ankle. "Really, Kikyo, shouldn't you be more careful when you're wearing a skirt?"

Embarrassed and scared, she jerked her leg away from his touch, "I told you! I'm NOT Kikyo!"

"Kagome-chan! Are you alright?" Sango stepped towards her, carefully watching the man.

"Don't move, woman!" He practically growled as he leaned down and hauled Kagome up by her arm.

"Sango-chan!" Kagome cried out as the man's nails piercing her skin. As she looked down, she saw that they were no longer nails, but claws that were protruding from the man's fingers. "What the hell _are _you?!"

Before he could answer, Yasha growled from where he was crouched, still holding his head. Standing up straight, he finally pulled his hands from his head. "Let her go!" He shouted angrily.

Kagome's and Sango's mouths dropped as they looked over at the boy. There, on top of his head, a pair of dog ears twitched.

"Yasha….what happened to you?" Sango whispered, rearing back in surprise when he glared at her.

His head hurt and he was confused. He remembered everything, including his past life. So this girl Kagome was actually Kikyo. Or, at least had been Kikyo before. _Great, more confusing thoughts to linger about, later. Right now was the more pressing issue of getting that man who reeked of evil away from her._

"So, Inu Yasha, you've remembered? This should be interesting…" He paused as he felt a shudder pass through the arm he was holding. Looking down at his captive, he watched as the girls whole body seemed to shake.

_'Dog ears…Inu Yasha…'_ There felt like there was something there, something that was pulling at her conscious for her to remember. Something important that she _needed to remember. "Inu Yasha…killed me…" She whispered in shock, barely audible. Then, the same feeling of familiarity struck her as she looked at the man holding her arm. "Onigumo…?"_

Yasha's eyes widened as those mumbled words came to him. The man laughed and clutched her arm tighter, making her wince in the process. "Even in death, you never realized it did you, _Kikyo? Inu Yasha didn't kill you! __I did!"_

Yasha fell to his knee, holding his head again as a new wave of pain hit him. "Who are you, bastard?"

Ignoring his question, he pulled Kagome closer to him, "And now I will take back what you deprived me of so many years ago! Give me the jewel!"

"Leave her alone, you jerk!" Sango yelled and started for them again, only to have Kagome pushed in front of the man, a claw placed against her neck.

"I wouldn't come any closer, unless you want to see your friend bleed to death before you."

"Well, this is a surprise" A voice called from the shadows of the alley, and all four of them turned to see who the speaker was.

"I should have known you'd still be alive…" The man sneered and tightened his hold on Kagome. "Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshou walked out from the shadows, Miroku stepping out behind him and walking towards Sango. Glancing around with his usual cold expression on his face, his gaze lingered a little longer on Yasha, then back to the man holding Kagome captive. "Naraku, I'm surprised to see you still alive. After all, hanyou's don't usually live that long."

Naraku smiled coldly at him and chuckled, "Sesshoumaru, alive and well, and in the company of a humans." His eyes glared over at Miroku and a smile crossed his face. "Ah, interesting to see the monk re-born." Directing his attention back to Sesshou, he continued, "Don't get involved in things that aren't your business."

Miroku stopped for a moment at Naraku's words, confused by both what he had said and the familiar feeling he was getting from him, and then continued towards Sango. Before she could ask, Miroku nodded and whispered, "Rin-chan is safe." Then they turned back towards where Naraku and Sesshou were facing off.

A smirk tugged at Sesshou's lips as he glared coldly at Naraku. "Don't be so quick as to tell me what my business is, hanyou. These are still my lands; anything that goes on here is my business."

Yasha had managed to pull himself to his feet while the two glared at each other. "Wait, how the hell do you two know each other anyways?"

Sesshou's eyes never left the demon's before him as he responded, "Be quiet, Yasha." Turning back towards Naraku, he continued, "I believe that you should release her now."

"Since when have you become so caring over humans, Sesshoumaru? Or have you been living among them for too long?"

Sesshou raised his hand, index and middle finger outstretched and a green whip grew from them, falling to the floor, "I have no attachments to humans. However, I have nothing against her, only you."

"Well then, you'll just have to go through her to get to me then."

Sesshou's eyes narrowed, "Very well then," as he raised his arm back and flung the whip out.

"No!" Sango and Miroku yelled in horror. Yasha could only watch as the green light shot straight towards Kagome and Naraku.

Kagome's eyes widened as the whip flew towards her. '_Oh my god, I'm gonna die! I don't want to die!'_ Closing her eyes tightly, she moved her arms up to block the blow, barely noticing that at sometime Naraku had let go of her.

As she braced herself for the pain that was coming, she was surprised when all she felt was warmth flowing through her arm, almost exploding out of her hand. Opening her eyes, she saw a pink light enveloping her. '_What is this?_'

As the light faded, she looked down to see a small pink light glowing in her side. _'What…is that glowing? In my body??'_

"I knew you still had the jewel!" Naraku sneered. Kagome looked up from herself to glare at the man, now standing a good distance away.

"Leave, Naraku." Sesshoumaru coldly addressed him, ready to attack again if necessary.

"You won't be protected all the time girl. And then I'll get what's mine." A thick smoke broke out from where he stood. As it cleared, Naraku was gone.

As Sango and Miroku went to Kagome to make sure she was alright, Yasha turned to Sesshou. "Well, _Uncle, I think we have a lot to talk about."_

Sesshou fixed him with a cold stare, "Indeed we do."

*Waves Banner* Wow, that was a _long_ chapter to type…

I should _hopefully have the next chapter up soon._

Inu Yasha says: "Review!" ^_^


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